Wafer aligning apparatus for semiconductor device fabrication

1. A wafer aligning apparatus for semiconductor device fabrication comprising: a wafer cassette configured to receive a plurality of wafers therein, said cassette having an opening at which circumferential edges of the wafers received therein are exposed; a cassette support supporting said wafer cassette; a rotary guide roller extending axially along said opening of the cassette at a position in which the guide roller will contact arcuate circumferential edges of wafers received in said cassette, the guide roller being supported in the apparatus so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, rotation of the guide roller rotating wafers received in said cassette due to friction between the arcuate circumferential edges of the wafers and the guide roller, and the guide roller being composed of carbon fiber reinforced polyether, the carbon fiber being provided in an amount sufficient to conduct away static charges created as the result of the friction between the guide roller and wafers being aligned by the guide roller; and a wafer support disposed at a position in which the wafer support will contact and support flat zones of the wafers once the flat zones confront the guide roller as the result of rotation of the wafers by the guide roller.

2. The wafer aligning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polyether is polyetheretherketone.

3. The wafer aligning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polyether includes carbon fiber contributing a percentage by weight in the range from about 10% to about 20%.

4. The wafer aligning apparatus of claim 3, wherein the carbon fibers have lengths in the range from 10 .mu.m to about 20 .mu.m and diameters in the range from about 7 .mu.m to about 9 .mu.m.

5. The wafer aligning apparatus of claim 3, wherein the carbon fiber reinforced polyether has surface resistivity in the range from about 10.sup.-5 .OMEGA./cm.sup.2 to about 10.sup.-9 .OMEGA./cm.sup.2.

6. The wafer aligning apparatus of claim 1, the guide roller further comprising a metal shaft concentrically disposed within a carbon fiber reinforced polyether coat.

7. The wafer aligning apparatus of claim 1, the guide roller further comprising integral shaft ends concentrically disposed on respective ends of the roller.